Now’s the time to visit Hanford B Reactor. What you’ll see inside the historic WA site
It’s a 45-minute bus ride to get a first-hand look into a top secret Eastern Washington project that changed the world.
Tucked away in the desert northwest of Richland is the historic B Reactor built during World War II to develop the atomic bomb.
The world’s first full-scale nuclear reactor was part of the Manhattan Project.
During the ride, a friendly guide delivers an introduction to Hanford history in the remote desert landscape.
For those unfamiliar with the area, there’s a lot of information to take in.
The B Reactor at the Hanford site was the world’s first full-scale nuclear reactor. Here, scientists and engineers pioneered the technology behind nuclear reactors.
The reactor was completed and went critical — or started up — in September 1944.
B Reactor produced the plutonium that powered the first man-made atomic explosion, the Trinity test, in the New Mexico desert in July 1945. Weeks later, the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, helping end World War II.
It still contains radioactivity in certain areas, but those areas are controlled with no public access. It was shut down permanently in February 1968.
Tours of B Reactor have become popular among locals and visitors to Tri-Cities.
Release of the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer” is contributing to the demand. The biographical thriller focuses on theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s work at Los Alamos, N.M.
About twice as many people have visited the reactor this year as the number that visited by the same time last year, Colleen French told the Herald. She is the Department of Energy program manager for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park at Hanford.
Last August, it was announced that the reactor is expected to close to tours for at least the next two years for repairs and preservation work on the 80-year-old reactor building.
That means the 2024 tour season, now planned through October, is the ideal time to sign up for a visit.
Inside the reactor
On your guided ride across the vast Hanford site, visitors soon spot the B Reactor entrance. The blocky old structure looms in the distance, tan and gray.
Once off the bus, you make your way inside to the center of the reactor, where the iconic front face is located.
It’s a moment of awe, looking up at the front face’s gold rows of process tubes.
The design allowed the reactor to produce plutonium-239 by irradiating naturally occurring uranium with neutrons.
The visit begins with a presentation at the front face, when a guide explains how the reactor was operated and what tools and equipment were used.
Armed with a paper map, you then have time for a self-guided experience in 12 rooms, including the control room, fuel storage basin viewing room and valve pit room.
Walkways take you through the exhaust and intake fan hallways, office settings, and exhibits of safety signs, tools and clothing. Machinery is painted a minty green, and there are hand-written signs labeling parts of the reactor.
There’s about two hours to explore the building before heading back to the visitor center. The full tour lasts about four hours, including time on the bus.
During the visit, guides provide two other optional presentations at the front face/valve pit room and inside the control room.
Before you go
The free tours begin and end at the visitor center at 2000 Logston Blvd. in Richland and include bus rides to and from the reactor. Visitors must take the bus to get to the B Reactor.
Tours are offered daily, except most Sundays. They start at 8:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
To register, go to manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov. Those without internet access may contact the tour center by calling 509-376-1647.
Expect large groups — there are up to 43 seats per tour.
The main tour route in the B Reactor is wheelchair accessible on one level with smooth finished surfaces. Wheelchair accessible buses and sign-language interpreters are available with two weeks notice.
Restrooms are located in the visitor center. The only restrooms at the reactor are porta-potties outside the building.
Food and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed on the bus. Only bottled water is allowed inside the reactor. There is no food or drink available to purchase at the visitor center or the B Reactor.
Cameras, cell phones and other recording devices are allowed.
There is no air conditioning inside the reactor, so dress to stay cool in the summer heat. Wear comfortable shoes.
There is no age limit. The tour may be best for older children.
Xenophile Books nearby the visitor center has B Reactor Museum and Manhattan Project souvenirs for purchase.
Activities in Tri-Cities
Can’t attend a tour? Consider other ways to experience the history, people and natural resources of the Tri-Cities.
Take a virtual tour of the B Reactor.
Take the prequel tour before visiting B Reactor: the pre-World War II historic facility tour.
Visit the Reach Museum.
Hike the dunes at White Bluffs/Hanford Reach.
Learn about the Wanapum people at the Wanapum Heritage Center.
